Trainer Michael Moroney will have Voleuse De Coeurs in the 2013 Melbourne Cup field but is hoping that Araldo can give him two runners in ‘the race that stops a nation’ at Flemington on Tuesday by winning the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) this afternoon.
Araldo will earn the final position in the 2013 Melbourne Cup field if he wins the Lexus Stakes at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Araldo is currently 37th in the 2013 Melbourne Cup order of entry and needs to win the Lexus Stakes to have any chance of qualifying for the race with his light weight of 50.5kg.
The High Chaparral entire joined the Moroney stable at the end of last year, after being placed at Group 1 level in the Preis Von Europa (2413m) in Germany, and has improved at each of his race starts in this campaign after making his Australian racing debut with an unlucky 15th in the Listed Slickpix Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on August 31.
He travelled to Adelaide for the Listed Penang Trophy (1800m) at Morphettville and once again had no luck, finishing third behind Star Rolling, but his fortunes turned when he returned to Melbourne to win the Listed The Bart Cummings (2520m) on protest from leading 2013 Melbourne Cup contender Sea Moon.
Moroney told News Limited that he has been happy with the form of the five-year-old and thinks that he is good enough to earn a start in the 2013 Melbourne Cup field by winning the Lexus Stakes at Flemington this afternoon.
“I think he can win and get into the Melbourne Cup,” Moroney said.
“His formlines are very strong.
“I’d love to see him in the Melbourne Cup as he is a real two miler.”
Moroney knows what it takes to win the Melbourne Cup with horses that have come through the Lexus Stakes; winning Australia’s most famous race with Brew in 2000, who got into the field with just 49.5 kilos on his back after winning on Victoria Derby Day.
Bookmakers obviously believe that Araldo is a good chance to win the Lexus Stakes as he is currently priced at 2013 Melbourne Cup odds of $51, which is significantly shorter than a number of horses that are guaranteed a start in the race like Lloyd Williams-owned Mourayan ($81), who will run in the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) this afternoon, Western Australian galloper Mr Moet ($81) and Pat Carey-trained Ethiopia ($101).
